Happily Frugal
Quotes from the book
Happily Frugal is a workbook guide to getting the most with the money you have. It contains over 700 money saving techniques. It teaches budgeting and financial goal setting. It's focused on principles of contentment and gratitude. Frugality is wise money management. Utilize this workbook to improve your household's finances, decrease your debt, reach your goals, and have more peace in your life due to less financial stress.
Get your money back
One thing that is unique about this book is you'll get your money back. Your return on investment will be quick. It will also be abundant. This book is education. Put it in action. This is knowledge you can use on a daily basis to improve your finances. You can easily save hundreds of dollars a month using these techniques. Won't you make the investment to learn how to get more with the money you have?
Get your money back
One thing that is unique about this book is you'll get your money back. Your return on investment will be quick. It will also be abundant. This book is education. Put it in action. This is knowledge you can use on a daily basis to improve your finances. You can easily save hundreds of dollars a month using these techniques. Won't you make the investment to learn how to get more with the money you have?
Table of Contents
Ch. 1 Frugal principles
Ch. 2 Income, spendings, and savings
Ch. 3 Record keeping
Ch. 4 Having a budget
Ch. 5 Reducing debt
Ch. 6 Saving money on monthly expenses
Ch. 7 Couponing 101
Ch. 8 Affording college?
Ch. 9 Saving money on your wedding
Ch. 10 Saving money when you’re having a baby
Ch. 11 Frugal and fun – low budget entertainment
Ch. 12 Feeding a family frugally
Ch. 13 Holidays
Ch. 14 Birthdays and other parties
Ch. 15 Making a little extra money
Ch. 16 Making do with what you have
Ch. 17 What about supporting the economy?
Ch. 18 Being able to bless others
Ch. 19 Financial goal setting
Ch. 20 Knowledge to action
Ch. 2 Income, spendings, and savings
Ch. 3 Record keeping
Ch. 4 Having a budget
Ch. 5 Reducing debt
Ch. 6 Saving money on monthly expenses
Ch. 7 Couponing 101
Ch. 8 Affording college?
Ch. 9 Saving money on your wedding
Ch. 10 Saving money when you’re having a baby
Ch. 11 Frugal and fun – low budget entertainment
Ch. 12 Feeding a family frugally
Ch. 13 Holidays
Ch. 14 Birthdays and other parties
Ch. 15 Making a little extra money
Ch. 16 Making do with what you have
Ch. 17 What about supporting the economy?
Ch. 18 Being able to bless others
Ch. 19 Financial goal setting
Ch. 20 Knowledge to action
Free sample chapter
Chapter 4 is all about having a budget and organizing each area of your expenses. Chapter 6 uses this budget to teach over 450 ways to save money on your monthly spending. Feel welcome to print the budget spreadsheet or use it as inspiration to custom make your own.
| budget_spreadsheet_from_happily_frugal__2023_september_12th_.pdf |
Open the PDFs below for the free spreadsheets from the book.
Spreadsheet for keeping track of due dates for bills
| freebie_2_-_due_date_calendar_from_chapter_4__2022_june_29th_.pdf |
Spreadsheet for keeping records of monthly finances
| freebie_3_-_record_keeping_spreadsheets__2022_june_29th__.pdf |
Weekly menu planning chart to print
| freebie_4_-_weekly_menu_plan__2022_june_29th_.pdf |
Suggested reading plan
| 30_day_reading_plan_for_happily_frugal__2022_june_29th_.pdf |
Why do a reading plan? Nonfiction is a different breed of books. You aren't simply reading. You are learning. It's helpful to take in smaller bites of knowledge to better absorb the information. Doing a reading plan allows time to read, reflect on each day's reading, goal plan, and begin to apply what you've learned. 30 days of reading can totally transform your money management. Take the journey of financial improvement one step at a time.
Why I wrote this book
This book was conceived during the 2008 Great Recession that hit Ohio hard. While other places began to recover, we saw more factories shut down and businesses go under. Many of my older relatives had left the hills of Kentucky for the jobs here in the Dayton area. What was once a metro of industrial boom became an increasingly desolate city in the rust belt.
When my family started having fewer hours of work available, I started making lists on every way I knew to save money. We had always been frugal. Generations of Appalachian poverty had instilled wisdom for resourcefulness and careful financial planning. I thought we already knew all the frugal ways. I learned even more. Just as importantly, we put those methods into practice. We survived a rough economy. Our frugality gave us stability.
Ohio never did fully recover from that recession. Buildings still sit empty. We drive by memories of once thriving jobs that supported families. Even in good times, a frugal lifestyle gives us security. Be as debt-free as possible. Live within your financial abilities. Be prepared. Know how to survive. The more you’ve seen the people that don’t fare well and the more you’ve seen families struggle, you realize how vital it is for you to be able to live frugally when you need to.
I wrote this book for my own family. I share it for others who want to live a similar frugal lifestyle. I chose the title Happily Frugal because the goal is to do more than survive or live a frugal lifestyle. The goal is to be happy in that lifestyle.
2 years after the pandemic hit, I decided to do a 4th edition. In my lifetime, we as a nation had never seen financial destruction like we did in 2020 and we have never seen inflation as it is now in 2022 (at the publishing of the 4th edition). Many of us were hit hard with unemployment and many more have been battling the high cost of living right now.
Again, I turn to this workbook as an action plan to get the most with the money I have and get by in difficult times. Genuinely, I live by this book. This is my lifestyle. These are my strategies for making it stretch. This is a survival guide. Study it. Utilize it. Increase financial security for your household. Learn how to live happily frugal.
When my family started having fewer hours of work available, I started making lists on every way I knew to save money. We had always been frugal. Generations of Appalachian poverty had instilled wisdom for resourcefulness and careful financial planning. I thought we already knew all the frugal ways. I learned even more. Just as importantly, we put those methods into practice. We survived a rough economy. Our frugality gave us stability.
Ohio never did fully recover from that recession. Buildings still sit empty. We drive by memories of once thriving jobs that supported families. Even in good times, a frugal lifestyle gives us security. Be as debt-free as possible. Live within your financial abilities. Be prepared. Know how to survive. The more you’ve seen the people that don’t fare well and the more you’ve seen families struggle, you realize how vital it is for you to be able to live frugally when you need to.
I wrote this book for my own family. I share it for others who want to live a similar frugal lifestyle. I chose the title Happily Frugal because the goal is to do more than survive or live a frugal lifestyle. The goal is to be happy in that lifestyle.
2 years after the pandemic hit, I decided to do a 4th edition. In my lifetime, we as a nation had never seen financial destruction like we did in 2020 and we have never seen inflation as it is now in 2022 (at the publishing of the 4th edition). Many of us were hit hard with unemployment and many more have been battling the high cost of living right now.
Again, I turn to this workbook as an action plan to get the most with the money I have and get by in difficult times. Genuinely, I live by this book. This is my lifestyle. These are my strategies for making it stretch. This is a survival guide. Study it. Utilize it. Increase financial security for your household. Learn how to live happily frugal.
About the cover
The idea of a 4th edition started with the thought of doing a 10-year anniversary cover. Happily Frugal is my first book, and we’ve journeyed to her 10th birthday. I was laying in bed one night and randomly got the idea to do an anniversary cover with pictures from my own household. I wanted to feature pictures of things that had been passed down to me that represented the frugal lifestyle.
From top to bottom and left to right:
The dishes
My Nana (Dad’s mother) had a brown Hullware collection that she passed down to my mom when my parents got married. I always loved those dishes. When I was 30, they became mine. It’s my only dish set. This is what I use every day. Brown is one of my favorite colors and I like the simple antique style. I’m not sure what year they’re from. I have a large collection. I know the brown drip glaze Hullware was made from 1960-1985. Hullware was an Ohio business from 1905-1986. These are the kind of dishes that last and can become heirlooms. I add new pieces whenever I can find them. Despite their age, they are all still in good condition even with daily use. I included this in the frugal photos because investing in home products that last so many years you can pass them down to your grandchildren is part of inheriting a frugal lifestyle.
The flatware
We have a boatload of antique utensils. Several grandmothers and great aunts have passed down stainless steel utensils. Several have also passed down real silver. Again, this is something frugal because it is long-lasting. Having extra of things to pass on to family members in need is just the Appalachian way.
The garden
This is a picture of my mom’s garden in early summer. It’s one of her garden beds. My dad built a chicken wire top for it to keep the squirrels away. Gardening is certainly one of the best ways to be frugal. My Dad is excellent at gardening. My Mom can make it work. I have more of a black thumb, but maybe someday I’ll get there.
The button jar
This is actually my mom’s button jar, but it reminded me of my Grandma Jenny (her mom). It used to be common for all women to have button jars. Save what you can and have it available when you need it.
The crocheted blanket
This is my favorite crocheted blanket. My Great Grandma Mazetta (Grandma Jenny’s mom) was amazing at crocheting blankets. She had so many! This brown one she made for my parents. Some of her prettiest blankets came from ends of yarn that she saved. My Grandma Jenny also has beautiful crochet skills. This is included in the frugal photos because making your family blankets is one way to save money and it lasts for many years.
The mason jar with coins
I wanted to put the coins in my great great Grandma Lula Mae’s (Mazetta’s mother) blue mason jar that we have in our kitchen. I wanted her to be represented as well. The lid was a little too fragile on that old mason jar. So, I used one of my blue ones. Whenever I use cash, I save the change in a large coin bank that I have. Every now and again, I will count how much is in there. It adds up a lot more than you think it will. Mason jars is another frugal thing that is fairly affordable to buy and can last for many years. We have quite a few. Some we’ve bought. Others have been passed down to us. We use mason jars for all kinds of things.
Also, the dresser that the mason jars were placed on for the photos is a small dresser I keep by my bed. It belonged to my great great Grandma Spicy. Yes, her name was really Spicy. She was my mom’s dad’s father’s mother. At some point in her childhood, my mom adored this dresser and it was passed down to her.
What I wanted to do with these photos was represent the frugal lifestyle and represent the women who passed down that lifestyle to me. I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge those women I inherited this lifestyle from.
I look at these women and I see a lifestyle of frugality and homemaking. I also see that there are relatives, especially in the younger generation, who do not hold to good money management principles. I’ve seen people shop till their last penny is gone, eat out when they can’t pay their bills, and beg for help when they have enough but they won’t manage it well. More and more with the younger generation, I see greed where there used to be gratitude. I see people who are discontent and try to find happiness with redoing entire rooms every 6 months. They spend tons of money, get bored, and then get rid of it just to turn around and spend more money. For every person in my life who has modeled good money management, there are several more modeling the kind of financial situations I did not want to be like. I’ve seen people go shopping knowing fully that they are spending their mortgage money or utilities money on frivolous outings. These people are also models to me. I intentionally decide not to live like they do.
I choose to be like these frugal women who were role models to me of good money management as well as frugal principles. We all have to make that choice of how we are going to live financially. Being happily frugal is a lifestyle choice. It’s security. It’s peace. It’s contentment. I would not want to live any other way.
From top to bottom and left to right:
The dishes
My Nana (Dad’s mother) had a brown Hullware collection that she passed down to my mom when my parents got married. I always loved those dishes. When I was 30, they became mine. It’s my only dish set. This is what I use every day. Brown is one of my favorite colors and I like the simple antique style. I’m not sure what year they’re from. I have a large collection. I know the brown drip glaze Hullware was made from 1960-1985. Hullware was an Ohio business from 1905-1986. These are the kind of dishes that last and can become heirlooms. I add new pieces whenever I can find them. Despite their age, they are all still in good condition even with daily use. I included this in the frugal photos because investing in home products that last so many years you can pass them down to your grandchildren is part of inheriting a frugal lifestyle.
The flatware
We have a boatload of antique utensils. Several grandmothers and great aunts have passed down stainless steel utensils. Several have also passed down real silver. Again, this is something frugal because it is long-lasting. Having extra of things to pass on to family members in need is just the Appalachian way.
The garden
This is a picture of my mom’s garden in early summer. It’s one of her garden beds. My dad built a chicken wire top for it to keep the squirrels away. Gardening is certainly one of the best ways to be frugal. My Dad is excellent at gardening. My Mom can make it work. I have more of a black thumb, but maybe someday I’ll get there.
The button jar
This is actually my mom’s button jar, but it reminded me of my Grandma Jenny (her mom). It used to be common for all women to have button jars. Save what you can and have it available when you need it.
The crocheted blanket
This is my favorite crocheted blanket. My Great Grandma Mazetta (Grandma Jenny’s mom) was amazing at crocheting blankets. She had so many! This brown one she made for my parents. Some of her prettiest blankets came from ends of yarn that she saved. My Grandma Jenny also has beautiful crochet skills. This is included in the frugal photos because making your family blankets is one way to save money and it lasts for many years.
The mason jar with coins
I wanted to put the coins in my great great Grandma Lula Mae’s (Mazetta’s mother) blue mason jar that we have in our kitchen. I wanted her to be represented as well. The lid was a little too fragile on that old mason jar. So, I used one of my blue ones. Whenever I use cash, I save the change in a large coin bank that I have. Every now and again, I will count how much is in there. It adds up a lot more than you think it will. Mason jars is another frugal thing that is fairly affordable to buy and can last for many years. We have quite a few. Some we’ve bought. Others have been passed down to us. We use mason jars for all kinds of things.
Also, the dresser that the mason jars were placed on for the photos is a small dresser I keep by my bed. It belonged to my great great Grandma Spicy. Yes, her name was really Spicy. She was my mom’s dad’s father’s mother. At some point in her childhood, my mom adored this dresser and it was passed down to her.
What I wanted to do with these photos was represent the frugal lifestyle and represent the women who passed down that lifestyle to me. I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge those women I inherited this lifestyle from.
- My Mom, Sarah – Most of all, I learned how to be happy being frugal from my mother. This book is dedicated to her. I’ve learned most of my frugal ways from my mother.
- My Grandma Jenny (Sarah’s mom) – As a mother of many children, she has some serious frugal skills.
- My great Grandma Mazetta (Jenny’s mom) – She was born in 1920 and lived to be 93 years old. I was in my 20s when she passed. One thing I remember about her is she was always hopeful. I still remember some of the frugal tips she gave me. Most of all, I remember the yarn and the blankets. Even from the smallest scraps of yarn that I thought were trash at a younger age, she could crochet beautiful blankets. She could make the most with very little.
- My great great Grandma Lula Mae (Mazetta’s mom) – Though I never knew her, I have heard stories about her. We have inherited practical things from her. When I think of aspiring to pass things down to my grandchildren, I think of the kinds of things she gave us.
- My great great Grandma Spicy (mom’s dad’s father’s mother) – She was influential in my mother’s life when she was a child. She was born in 1890 and had 9 children. Spicy herself was one of 13 children.
- My great great Aunt Neacie (Spicy’s daughter) – My mom was close with her as a child and Aunt Neen had a big influence on my mom’s frugal lifestyle. My mom still tells me stories of the way they lived and the frugal things she did.
- Last but not least, Nana Sheila (Dad’s mom) – She had a very interesting story. She came from a well-to-do family in London, married a Yankee overseas, and found herself in the throws of backwoods East Kentucky poverty. Yet she adapted. She managed her finances like a business and she learned how to be extremely frugal. She was an influence for me on money management. And she could make good food on a tight budget. Her cornbread recipe is still one of my absolute favorite meals.
I look at these women and I see a lifestyle of frugality and homemaking. I also see that there are relatives, especially in the younger generation, who do not hold to good money management principles. I’ve seen people shop till their last penny is gone, eat out when they can’t pay their bills, and beg for help when they have enough but they won’t manage it well. More and more with the younger generation, I see greed where there used to be gratitude. I see people who are discontent and try to find happiness with redoing entire rooms every 6 months. They spend tons of money, get bored, and then get rid of it just to turn around and spend more money. For every person in my life who has modeled good money management, there are several more modeling the kind of financial situations I did not want to be like. I’ve seen people go shopping knowing fully that they are spending their mortgage money or utilities money on frivolous outings. These people are also models to me. I intentionally decide not to live like they do.
I choose to be like these frugal women who were role models to me of good money management as well as frugal principles. We all have to make that choice of how we are going to live financially. Being happily frugal is a lifestyle choice. It’s security. It’s peace. It’s contentment. I would not want to live any other way.